Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-01


!, weaker day by day
. June 5.--I took, the other day, O DO,
;, tion OF the medicine that the coun
= brought home to his wife q few week
: ago, TO chemist in Paris, to have it al
: alyzed. Yesterday l went after it. Tn
. old man looked at ME very inQuisitivel
rs he handed me back the bottle, and CAV
me back the paper containing the resul
, OF his Investigation.
DO you KNOW" he asked, that ar
senic Is one Of the ingredients in the liQui,
you have brought met"
came very near saying thought a
! much. but controlled myself and said
inditferently, "lndeedr'
YES. :" continued the old chemist; as,
a certain degree of precaution is necessar,
in administering it,"
''How much" asked, would it b.
safe for person to take in the course o
n days.
The dose ought not to exceed tea
spoonful, and two or three during twenty
four hours are as much rs can be t.,ker
prudently by person Of an ordinary con
stitution."
Now, Nine. de Viana, as happen
TO know, never takes more than two tea
spoonfuls daily, one on Weakening in tn.
morning and the other just before she is
settled for the night. know this to lie a
fact, for | always give her the stuff my
self, and keep the bottle containing it in
my own room.
This is very puzzling matter. Can 1t
he that the poor lady is really dying from
some mysterious internal malady,
June G.-l tried this morning 10 get a
peep at the upstairs room SO frequented by
the count. l had just given the countess
her medicine and glass or two of water,
and she had fallen asleep, rs she now does
from weakness two or three times a day
| The count had gone ont for n ride en-
horseback, and was safe not to come back
for two hours at the very least. So armed
myself with duster and slipped upstairs
10 the room that has SO tried my patience
and provoked my curiosity. But the door
was locked ami the key had been taken
away. tried 10 peep through the key
hole, but could see nothing save table
with a white cloth thrown over it, Just
then heard Antonio coming upstairs and
whistling an air from IL Trovatore" So
got out of the way as fast as possible.
! One thing is certain: 1 perceived q very
| powerful and peculiar Odor issuing from
the room while l was making my investi-
cations at the keyhole
June lO.-The countess is much worse
today. think, poor child. she begins to
despair OF her own recovery. In an inter-
val of comparative ease she sent her maid
to bring her her jewel box, and spent
some little time in tying up various
trinketS in little parcels each Of which
she marked with the name Of some one OF
her young friends or schoolfellows I
hal, -
turned TO me and put pretty brooch in
my hand, saying. in her soft, low tones:
Il hope, Sarah, that You will sometimes
wea- that in remembrance Of me- You
have been very good and patient with me,
and You always take SO much trouble
with me-" Then she selected n pair Of
beautiful solitaire pearl earrings and put
them in n little box: These l wan. Carlo
to have mounted as shirt studs when-I
mean some day." Just then she became
very faint from her exertions and the
jewels were taken away.
June Ill have done a very daring
deed today have begged the countess tc
send for another physician. Long ago,
when was in Paris, heard a good deal
about an American doctor. one DIR.
Warner, who, it is said. possesses a pecu
liar insight into the nature and origin Of
all sorts Of obscure maladies. l see by
this mornings Galgnani that he is now in
Paris. So told the countess that he is
within reach. And, affecting confidence
that scarcely felt, said, Dear madame,
if one can only find ont what really is the
matter with you, ! think the question Of
your recovery would speedily be settled"
Il am SO tired Of doctors and physic,
Sarah" she said, with a wan smile, that
1t seems to me impossible to try any
more"
But l coaxed her and persuaded her,
and finally she said that ''she would ask
Carlo" l wonder il he will consent.
Three o'Clock.-He has consented, and
Antonio has gone OF with the carriage to
fetch DR.. Warner.
Jane fe-The mystery d solved. Lord, |
what fool have been!-what fools we |
have all been, for the matter Of that!
1t was early in the evening when the |
doctor arrived, and he went straight to
the invalid's bedroom. There he sub |
jected her to thorough Investigation
her pulse, her tongue, her general symp- |
toms, etc.-though 50 gently and kindly |
that he neither worried nor wearied her |
And then, after . few pleasant. reas-
suring words, he went down stairs, fol- |
lowed by the count, and both gentlemen |
went into the drawing room and closed
the door. But they did not get ahead Of
me that way. Iquietly slipped round by
the balcony to the little sitting room be-
yond the parlor, and ensconced myself be-
hind the curtains. For had made up my
mind to know what the American doctor
thought Of the ease, even II lost my
situation through my curiosity.
The first words that were spoken fairly |
made me start, SO fully did they justify
my suspicious. For DIR. Warner, without
preface or circumlocution, quietly re-
marked: Your wife. count, Is dying from
repeated doses Of arsenic"
"Arsenic!r cried the count WHAT Is
anybody trying to poison her, Do you
suspect any one, dcctor,''
II do not say that any one is trying to
poison her. Only she has been taking
arsenic for some time past in dangerous
quantities. Now. where does she get it,'
do you imngine, doctor, that l have
been administering it," began the count,
Q decisive gesture.
Il repeat that l accuse nobody, and
suspect nobody: but Nine. de Viana has
DSSu ucshls AiAlcu b1 0IctIllC III bOluc
shape OF other, and 1t is my duty to End
out where it comes from. Did you bring
with YOU the prescriptions for the medi-
cines she has been takingf"
The count produced from his pocket
book some half . dozen prescriptions,
which the doctor spread out upon the
table before him, minutely scrutinizing
them one by one. Finally he selected one,
and passing it to the count, asked, "IIow
long has Nine. de Viana been taking this
potion,'
AT intervals for over a year. 1t was
prescribed to her TO relieve her from an
eruption which had made its appearance
on her forehead
And has she ever been In the habit OF
mineral waters-those from the
springs of La BourbOule. for instance
Yes: we spent six weeks at that
place last summer, and the
waters did my wife SO much good that
she has been drinking them constantly